Having to pick 11 yr old up from school

[Knitwit101]

Our school has a new head. Been there maybe a month. He has announced that in the winter all kids must be collected from school. I have an 11 yr old in p7 (Scotland) who has been walking home alone since p3. We are really near the school and he has only one road to cross, it has a crossing. This is a ridiculous rule, right? Surely an 11 yr old can walk maybe 4 minutes home alone if his parent says he can? It's not even nearly dark at 3.15pm.

To add to my irritation my 6 yr old finishes 20 minutes earlier. There is nowhere sheltered outside to wait and we are not allowed to wait in the school. There's no point walking home, sitting at home for 10 minutes then going back out again. So I am expected to stand outside (in weather and light that is unsuitable for 11 yr olds to be alone in) with my 6 yr old for 20 minutes to collect an 11 yr old who is perfectly capable of walking home alone.

I have complained, as have several other parents. The school have said that they are not making judgements about the capabilities and journeys of individual pupils, it's the same rule for everyone and that's that.
One parent refused to come and collect her dd. She was made to wait in school and her parent was called to collect her.

Yesterday I offered to 'collect' a bunch of kids and walk them to the school gate then let them go. So i basically collected every p7 kid then let them walk home like they usually do. I half thought the school would have phoned me this morning and complained about deliberate flouting of their policy but they haven't. Another parent is going to collect them all today and walk them round the corner out of sight.

AIBU to think this is a ridiculous policy?

Everyone manages to pick up their kids everyday at my kids school when a parent needs to get them . But it’s always been a requirement at our school not like someone came in and changed the rules .

Yes Nicky maybe I read your comment wrong but what I was getting at was most parents would be with their kids in the morning so they woudnt be left at home alone. If maybe the issue was that too many children were left at home alone after school and that’s why the head was making sure parents were there .

booh It’s got nothing to do with the teacher if there are kids home alone.

Nick when it puts them at risk and they are too young to be left alone . I think the school would take an interest . Especially with his named guardian thing we have in Scotland now .

boo

At my dds school it's perfectly normal for older siblings to pick kids up. Some of those would be getting off buses from school. So despite parents not being there and having what would be a perfectly good solution of a kid going home on their own and their sister brother being back shortly after. You will be forcing parents to change their hours or pay a chikd minder unnecessarily. a because they insist on a pick up

I'd be very pissed off at this. I'm trying to get DD used to walking home from school before next year. She has a 20 minute walk across 2 main roads. She has 3 boosters and 1 club a week, 1 day a week she leaves the house at 7.30, twice a week she's not home until 4.45 and once a week 4.15.

Last winter they were telling them they had to wear jumpers. DD was sweating. She knows whether she's cold or not.

They're creating snowflakes.

booh I’m also in Scotland and the named person scheme will have no affect in situations like this. Being left alone is not a child protection concern in its own right. The head cannot just use any personal opinion to implement such a daft rule.

I leave my 11 year old alone in the house. It’s perfectly acceptable.

This is ludicrous. Children need to develop independence and be healthy walking themselves around by this age.

The adventure playground near my house allows children to come and go much younger than this - it's called open access play and is common in the adventure playground network. They have to be 7 years old and can sign themselves out.

I thought our school was being unreasonable too! My Year 5 child is no longer allowed to walk herself home as it is 'too dark'...she can see our front door from the school gate and in any case, it isn't dark at 3.15!

Boohissmiss I think you must live in a parallel universe if you have never heard of children aged 11 getting themselves out to school in the morning as both parents have left the house by 7.30am for work. I would also love to know where you live that every single child in a school is picked up by a parent every day. Does nobody go to work in this place?

It involves a very minor inconvenience - not all parents have 6year olds to pick up. I would need to go part time if I was expected to pick my DC up in the middle of the working day. That's not a minor inconvenience.

I would also love to know where you live that every single child in a school is picked up by a parent every day. Does nobody go to work in this place?
Well not working woykd explain why there is sufficient after school club spaces and child minder spaces to accommodate 30/60 yr 5s and 6s despite the favt the parents cancelled it all in September this year or last year because dad/sister gets home at 4 or the neighbour gives them a knock to check on them.

You cant just change it like that. People literally just cancelled their child care

Nicky yes it would depend on the circumstances. But maybe people were having their 11 year old walk home their younger siblings and being left watching them for an hour is a child protection issue IMO . I know the law doesn’t state an age acceptable to be left alone but does say that most children under 12 on the most part shouldn’t be left. Not talking about those that leave a 11 year old for 10 minutes till an older sibling get home. But people who may leave an 11 year old to look after a 5 and 6 year old . That to me put thems all at risk.

"It wouldn’t matter I’d parents work tho would it as they would need to have someone home for the kids getting in . So someone should be at home anyway ." Says who?!

No at this age they're perfectly fine walking home alone and being home alone for I'd say a couple hours! My dd had a key from age 10 and even though I was mostly home, she was perfectly capable of letting herself in and seeing to herself until I got home if I wasn't.

The creeping ridiculous infantilising of children and ignoring of parents common sense and knowledge of THEIR children is getting bloody ridiculous!

I'm in Scotland too. For high school my dd had a 30/40 min walk to school inc crossing 2 busy roads (with crossings) she'd get the bus if it was foul weather. To go from last year of primary having your mother collect you (which most this age would also find mortifying) to full independence for high school is ridiculous and potentially affect children's confidence where they don't think they're capable of it.

This HT needs a hefty dose of common sense (and some good scots plain talking!)

If it were me I'd be arranging a delegation of parents all wanting to see head at same time and refusing to leave until they did! No warning - lead HT be inconvenienced by their own inconvenient and nonsensical policy. And all say you're refusing to do this, it's unnecessary and not their right to set such a policy.

Alternatively all refuse to collect the kids (let the kids know in advance) and as pp says let him call SS or whoever and make a Pratt of himself!

"Miss cherry things have changed a lot since the 70s" no they actually haven't! Children are no more at risk now from paedophiles, kidnappers, fires in the home etc than they were then - if anything they're safer! Because we're now more aware of the risks and teach them so AND electrics etc are safer. The only thing SLIGHTLY more dangerous now is re road safety and again if children are taught to negotiate roads safely and by sounds of it not an issue in this case then the children are perfectly capable of negotiating traffic/crossings (which they'll have to come high school age) too!

"and the last couple of years they have had a police escorts walking with them . I think the safer the better" why ON EARTH would they need police escorts? What a ridiculous waste of resources! I'd love to see proof this is happening in uk as I'm highly sceptical!

"Like yourself you weapon" 😂

I strongly suspect it's kids with overprotective parents who are MORE at risk cos they don't learn street smarts!

Bananasinpyjamas do you have a child this age or older? The type of children you're talking about are not going to be protected by this policy from their parents neglect. You can't overprotect everyone else because of a neglected minority.

"for really what is a minor inconvenience to you." That's not the only reason it's a bad idea. But given the current economic climate it could well cause major problems for a family on a low income who's parents are working when they're finishing school, because they REASONABLY have assessed that works for THEIR family.

"A Head saying that these kids need protecting by saying all kids need to be picked up"

A - is not his job
B - is not how such a situation must be handled
C - is not an acceptable or practical reason for doing this.

booh There is no law that talks about under 12, only guidance.

And who has a 11 year old that takes a sibling home and looks after them?

Rainbow corn I have never heard of primary school children being left in the house from 730 no I have not . I maybe shouldn’t have said parents exclusively but grandparents etc do come and pick up every child that’s gets off the school bus as they would be taken back to the school if an adult wasn’t there to collect them.

Nicky I never said it was a law as I said the law doesn’t state age.

Graphista maybe you should read all the posts I have already explained why they get police escorts

Boo It really must be some place you live that there is not a single 10 or 11 year walking to and from school alone. I would say that in most schools it is very unusual for a child of that age to be picked up routinely. To be honest most grandparents around here are still working so are not available for childcare.

Except they aren't really police escorts more police traffic control like for parades and things.

I'd be annoyed. Ds caught the (public) bus walked and let himself in from year 5. He was capable, I taught him the life skills.

I don't think we realise how much the infantising attitude is damaging our children.

How do these children manage to transition to secondary school where they may have a walk of up to 3 miles or buses, trains etc travelling across a city to get to and from school.

I would get the Parent Council involved, and go to the next meeting. You are legally allowed even if you're not on the Council, as all Parents are members. You can ask for it to be put on the Agenda, then if you all go along, you can tell them how silly the policy is.

Littleducks exaclty that’s what they are just like crowd control after a football match. Police escorts is what the school call them so that’s the wording I used.

Rainbow as I have said before our school is over three miles away so no I don’t think anymore would have their 10 and 11 year old walking down the side of a motorway.

*anyone

booh Read your post again. You said the law didn’t state and age but DID say that most children under 12 shouldn’t be left alone. You have worded it wrong even if it’s not what you meant but I can only go on what you write.

booh they will be getting police assistance for traffic control. No other reason.